Mushroom Bacon Cavatappi with Creamy Garlic Herb Sauce

This creamy cavatappi pasta is a dream for mushroom lovers. Tender spiral pasta is tossed with golden-brown mushrooms, crispy bacon and a velvety garlic herb sauce, then finished with a shower of Parmesan and fresh scallions. It’s an umami-packed bowl of comfort that comes together in about 30 minutes.

With just a handful of ingredients and simple steps, this dish delivers big flavor without fuss. The creamy sauce is made with cream cheese and milk, thickened with a touch of flour and enriched with garlic herb butter. Perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner or when you need a satisfying meal fast.

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Ingredients

4 ounce BaconView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

6 ounce Cavatappi PastaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

8 ounce Button MushroomsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Cream CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 tablespoon Parmesan CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit MilkView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Garlic Herb ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit ScallionsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon FlourView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon (tbsp) ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. Trim and slice mushrooms into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
2. Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and slightly crispy, 5-7 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Wash out pan.
3. Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
4. While pasta cooks, melt 2 TBSP plain butter in the pan used for mushrooms over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites and cook until just softened, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk and ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water, breaking up any flour clumps. Simmer until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes.
5. Stir cream cheese into the sauce until melted and combined. Stir in mushrooms, drained cavatappi and garlic herb butter. Season with salt and pepper. If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.
6. Divide pasta between bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan and scallion greens. Serve.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use a different pasta shape?

Yes, any short pasta like penne, fusilli or rotini works well. Adjust cooking time according to package directions.

How do I make this dish vegetarian?

Simply omit the bacon. For extra flavor, add a splash of soy sauce or a pinch of smoked paprika to the mushrooms.

Can I prepare this ahead of time?

The sauce is best fresh, but you can cook the pasta and mushrooms in advance. Reheat gently with a splash of milk or pasta water to restore creaminess.